ELMONT, N.Y. - On the morning after Essential Quality finished fourth in the Kentucky Derby, his first career defeat, trainer Brad Cox recalled how the first time he watched the horse work out, he told his assistant the horse would win the Belmont Stakes. It sounded hyperbolic. It proved prophetic. Rebounding from the first loss of his career in the Derby, Essential Quality outfought a game pacesetting Hot Rod Charlie to win Saturday’s $1.5 million Belmont Stakes by 1 1/4 lengths before a crowd of 11,238 at sun-soaked Belmont Park. Hot Rod Charlie, who set a fast and contested pace, finished second, 11 1/4 lengths clear of Rombauer, the Preakness winner. Known Agenda finished fourth and was followed, in order, by Bourbonic, Rock Your World, Overtook, and France Go de Ina. Essential Quality became the first 2-year-old champion to win the Belmont since American Pharoah won the Triple Crown in 2015. Essential Quality became the fourth colt by the stallion Tapit to win the Belmont, joining a list that includes Tonalist (2014), Creator (2016), and Tapwrit (2017). Essential Quality’s victory capped a huge day for his owner, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum’s Godolphin Racing, which won the Group 1 Epsom Derby with Adayar and ran one-two in the Grade 1 Just a Game at Belmont with Althiqa and Summer Romance. “This will rank near the top for quite a while,” said Jimmy Bell, U.S. racing manager for Godolphin. “It’s a huge day.” It is the first official Triple Crown race victory for Cox. Five weeks ago, he finished second in the Kentucky Derby with Mandaloun. The winner, Medina Spirit, tested positive for the therapeutic medication betamethasone and could be disqualified, which would elevate Mandaloun to first. Of course, litigation could hold that result up indefinitely. :: Access exclusive morning workout reports and get an edge on Belmont Stakes Day with DRF Clocker Reports  Cox felt Essential Quality ran the best race in the Derby. He bumped with Rock Your World coming out of the gate, losing position, and then traveled wide around both turns, and was beaten just one length. “People said this was like a redemption thing for him and I guess it may have been,” Cox said. “Whenever you’re defeated you got to get back on track. He was able to do that today and I’m glad he was back in the winner’s circle.” The win was the first in a Triple Crown race for Luis Saez, who in 2019 finished first in the Kentucky Derby on Maximum Security only to have the stewards disqualify him for interference. Saez had been winless in four previous tries at the Belmont. “Oh my God, it was something so special,” Saez said. “I’m so proud to be here and come away with the victory. The Derby was a little bit of an unlucky start, you know, stuff happens, so I’m okay.” In the Belmont, Essential Quality was coaxed away from the gate by Saez. But it was Flavien Prat, on Hot Rod Charlie, who was hell bent for the lead. Hot Rod Charlie ran a posted opening-quarter of 22.78 seconds to get the lead from Rock Your World and Joel Rosario. Hot Rod Charlie and Rock Your World were no more than a half-length apart through a half-mile in 46.49 seconds, six furlongs in 1:12.07 and a mile in 1:37.40. Prat said he had wanted the lead because in the Kentucky Derby, when he tried to get Hot Rod Charlie to come from just off the pace, “I had a hard time passing horses,” Prat said. “I thought maybe on the lead he would be better.” At the half-mile pole, Essential Quality came up outside of Rock Your World and Hot Rod Charlie. At the five-sixteenths pole, Rock Your World began to retreat and it was down to Essential Quality and Hot Rod Charlie, who had finished first and second eight months ago in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile. The two slugged it out until inside the sixteenth pole when Essential Quality began to edge away. Essential Quality covered the 1 1/2 miles in 2:27.11 and returned $4.60 as the 6-5 favorite. He earned a 109 Beyer Speed Figure. “Our horse really showed his talent and stamina the last quarter-mile, which we always suspected he had,” Cox said. “Honestly, a mile and a half you never really know ’til you try it. With the Tapit on top, just really thought he would be able get the mile-and-a-half when he had the opportunity.” While Cox was confident Essential Quality had the stamina to get the distance, Saez was confident he could win the battle with Hot Rod Charlie. “The good thing about Essential, he fight always,” Saez said. “He doesn’t care who it is, he’s going to want to beat him.” Doug O’Neill, the trainer of Hot Rod Charlie, said he had no issues with Prat’s decision to send the horse to the lead, which he told O’Neill in the paddock was his plan. :: DRF Bets players get FREE Daily Racing Form Past Performances and up to 5% weekly cashback. Join Now.  “He just wanted to send him away from there and if anybody got an easy lead it would be him,” O’Neill said. “It was a pretty short conversation, but one of just a lot of confidence from one of the best riders in the world. We all felt good legging him up.” With Prat opting to ride Hot Rod Charlie, John Velazquez picked up the mount on Rombauer. Entering the far turn, Rombauer seemed to be sitting in a good spot, fifth about four lengths off the pace. But Essential Quality and Hot Rod Charlie ran away from the pack turning for home. Rombauer proved best of the rest, finishing third by three-quarters of a length over Known Agenda. “The horse ran his race,” trainer Michael McCarthy said. “He ran three weeks ago, he ran a blinder, came back, shipped straight here. I thought the horse ran super, no complaints. You’d like to win in a situation like this you, but know what, I’m proud of the horse.” Before they decided to run Essential Quality in the Belmont Stakes, Godolphin and Cox had talked about the Travers, at Saratoga, on Aug. 28, as a race they’d like to make this year. “That’s a pretty significant race,” Bell said. “When you’re trying to raise your résumé a little bit, that’s one you’d like to have on there.”